It all started with The Kingston Trio, The Brothers Four, The Limeliters and the Smothers Brothers. The year was 1968 and playing the guitar wasn't "cool". It was the eccentric habit of beatniks, slackers and "heads". Probably more the product of rebellion than what would perceived today as "sex, drugs and R&R". Those guys could pick though..... and the word "rock music" hadn't been coined yet.
(If the links don't work....then click continue or skip 'em)
Don't worry, we're not hillbillies, yet.
We were layin' the "trip" down.


Mikey and Ken as grade schoolers
doing the Smothers Bros act for
class assembly
 		  



The 1969 band
(from left to right-Don Ellis, Ron "Duffy" Hoffman,
Vince Coppola, Mikey)
We covered CCR, Jeff Beck Truth, Cream.
The same stuff you did if you were a long hair.

I remember the family gathering around the TV set to see the Ed Sullivan Show and the Beatles debut. Me being a tyke began to babble about them looking like girls. Well, that evoked a smack across the head from my sisters and my mom just laughed. It wasn't until I heard the song, "Tobacco Road" that I took an interest in the guitar. Me, Mikey, being adopted from Korea by German immigrant parents and and getting a good dose of the blues from a transistor radio whilst doing my after school paper route. But it was "Pictures of Matchstick Men" and "Journey to the Center of the Mind" that finally did me in. In those days you never really saw a video or picture of "Groups" except in Hit Parade magazine, but to me that was the coolest thing in the world! MTV ruined everything. Playing a "lead" on an electric guitar was against federal law at that time, I think.  Dad wants me to become a scientist. The school wants me to get beat up as a football player. I was already a Little League baseball pitcher. Mom gets me my own $13 guitar for Christmas....... 1 year later gets me an SG. I eventually trade it in for a new LP. I settle for "guitar slingin' bum".
 


After gigs at the Sergeantsville firemen's picnic and Camp Nockamixon we were invited to play at the Monument in Flemington, 1970.




   




 
 

The seeds of Edgar Cayce

If I remember correctly, we called this
1976 band Spectrum. Band members
from left to right - (Not shown) - Joe Zujkowski (keyboard), Vinnie Sisser (drums), Steve Carafello (Vocals),
Mikey (guitar), Scott Metaxas (bass)
These shots were of the Martinsville Community Center at our debut. Our first gig and the place was packed. Our harmonies were impeccable
 if I may say so.

 

Song list included-

The Tower-Angel
Roundabout-Yes
Siberian Katru-Yes
Close to the Edge-Yes
Freehand-Gentle Giant
Frankenstein-E. Winter
Can I Tell You Something-Kansas
Sweet Child of Innocence-Kansas
A Song for You (written by Mikey)
and some ELP songs

 

The township asked us to hire police to keep order (we packed 'em in) after which they stated, "...that was the best show we've ever seen". (seriously...no shirt!) Mikey did a lot of jumping
around back then...not so much any more...lol. (old age and beer)

Bar owners would not hire us because we didn't play "dance" music and
Scott and Vinnie were still in school.
But none the less we performed concerts all over from Seaside Heights to Central Jersey and got rave
reviews from regional newspapers.
After about 15 or so gigs Mikey
went on to join, Flight and Joe
and Scott formed the Prophet band. Vinnie would go on to work with
Richie Sambora. Our light and soundman (Eric Moskowitz) would
go on to form Black Mountain
Lighting (BML) and do lights for
Aretha Franklin and Aerosmith
among other artists.


 
  
1978 with the Flight band Keg Parties


1989 Keg Party
Video

1998 Keg Party


Seasons of Thyme (1980)
(Right to left) Kurt, Robbie, Mikey, Paul

       

 The Strange to Say band  with Ryche Chlanda 1970